The Washington critic., 1887-12-14
THE CRITIC" ABROAD.
England'S POstOfice and Postal Tele.
graph Service.
LONDON IN A HEAVY FOG,
How the Poor of the Great British
Metropolis Are Provided For.
Special Correspondence w,.niSoros cntrrc

Special Correspondence wAsiiSoros cntric.
LoSDoN, Nov. 29.-All visitors to Lon /
don would be interested in the postoilicc |
and telegraph department. The Gen /
eral Postoilice, which is conducted under |
the Postmaster-Gcneral, not merely the /
business of letter, newspaper, and book |
post, but that of the moncy-ordcr, savings |
bank, and postal telegraph system, is
situated ut the corner Of Ncwgatc street.
London and its cnvirons are divided
into eight postal districts, each of which
is treated in many respects as separate
post town. The portion of each dis
trict within about three miles of the
General Postoilice is called the town
delivery, and the remainder the subur-
ban. The General PostoiIicc employs
! 5000, and the order and system prevail
ing throughout the office is TO be COM
mcndcd. Naturally the largest city in
the world would have an enormous
mail, but the night before the sailing Of
steamers the mail is the heaviest In
n single drop box on the west side of the
building. between land g p. m, $1,000
letters ON the average are posted, which
will give faint idea of the entire mail.
Men are employed who can stamp by
hand $50 to 300 letters q minute. One
part of the Office is called
TIE nosriTAL.
where letters and packages are
mendcd which have been broken
through the mail. There was book
containing copies of queer addresses.
Some of them were in water colors,
others were in pen and ink. Most Of
them were burlesquc figures, and many
reached their owners without word Of
address, the likeness was 50 perfect.
There were several addressed to the
Queen, and members of the Royal fam
lily. One was addressed inside the en-
velope, saying they put the address in
side, thinking it would be rubbed oil in
the mail.
THE GENERAL TELEGRAPH OFFICE
is opposite the General postoiIicc. This
Department employs two thousand
/ three hundred. Young boys and girls do
, the lighter part of the work, but the ma
iority of the employees are men. They
| cannot be spared long enough togo out
: to their meals. sodnner is furnished at
J Il moderate rate, and supper, consisting
of bread and butter and large cup Of
coffee, is served by the Government.
Each of the employees are seated ut Il
desk with Il lamp, and it is novel sight
to look down upon the office from the
b: platform above
Telcgrams are sent by perforated mes
> sages, four hundred words in IL minute.
o There is u machine that can receive
, and give two messages at the same time,
a having only one wire. The longest dis
tI,ut tn1npvap, sap In il,
= seven hundred miles, the atmosphere
being such as to break the current after
this point. Automatic tubes are used in
, the office TO places within the city's ru-
: dius. Tho machinery connected with
these is on an enormous scale. The cX-
\ pcnse of these tubes is very great, else
. they would he used more generally.
!, The Postal Telegraph Service is carried
on at a'cost of five millions per annum,
g with profit of three millions to the
/; State, but the revenue from the tcle-
n graph department alone roturnt but Il
If nominal profit upon the capital in
Z vested.
rRovIDiSG FOR THE roOR.
& There is much interest expressed con.
u corning the means 10 be employed to
/ meet the wants of the ciiy's poor
y There are casual wards in different part,
y Of the city, which are crowded nightly
/. with those who would otherwise slccI
in the open air. According to all ac,
5 counts, the ward consists of room Will,
q thirty-siX iron cots, each having Il straw
ii mattress and two blankets. Above is q
,f gallery, which accommodates thirty
+. men. The beds are placed close to-
gcther. In the morning the men arC
,',c given pint of ''sliilly' and six ounce.
:, u of bread. Their work is to pick foul
u pounds of oalum in shed dimll
Is lighted. At dinner they get eight
't ounces Of bread, with small piece oI
Of cheese. They can remain but two
'c nights, at the farthcst, in these wards
g and, if man is detected rs having
Is been in the ward more than once in i
l. month, he is detained for four days
b. In various parts of the city there are
l. soup-houses where the starving GROVE
\. gather, and no one outside of the city
can imagine the amount of suffering
-, seen upon these streets. There wOul,
,p ,p be much more help afforded thcs,
N starving masses, did not the Socialist,
c. and rioters join them in their demon
J. strations.
!" SUNDAY AFTERNOON CONCERTS.
,r A series of Sunday afternoon concerts
70 ma much 1aNor among lovers oil music
,c To quiet the conscience of those VIII,
fc are prejudiced against them a portion
re of the service of the Church of Englan,
IN is read; then follows selections from
It, oratorios. There is II large chorus,
H. full orchestra, and celebrated singer
,o take the principal parts, Certainly il
N no city in the world does oratorio sing
ii ing arrive at such perfection as in Lon
n don. \ good deal of controversy hui
y arisen regarding the church service u
it these concerts. Nevertheless they ar,
of very popular.
re LONDON lN \ FOG.
Words are inadequate to express to NJ
y American true idea of II London fog
+. such as visited this city last week. !
Is ride through the crowded thoroughiarcs
% when II black fog hangs over the city, il
an experience which u traveller ncvc
y wishes to repeat; but there is Il certain
b. novelty about it which enhances it
ie charm and makes one enjoy for tn,
s. time being his first experience of u fog
Is Darkness came over the cityat lOa, m
a. II is characteristic of Londuu's wonder
H. full climate that whenever the thcr
e. l.I 4.